That tray bake with puff pastry, red onions, honey and goat cheese sounds lovely, even if the beet let you down. Chioggia tends to win the beauty pageant but not the taste test, though roasting it hot with a splash of balsamic or a little orange can pull more sweetness. Your thought about the dent shifting the whole pattern sticks, small knocks really do ripple. If the beet keeps bugging you, have you tried swapping in pumpkin or sweet potato for a similar feel?